UW Gives Thompson A 'Mecca' Offer

Benjamin Worgull

02/25/2011

With offers from Alabama, Florida, Pittsburgh and South Carolina, Archbishop Wood (Pa.) High School Colin Thompson is bringing in big scholarship offers every week. With the tradition of Wisconsin's tight ends, Thompson would put his Badgers scholarship offer near the top of his list.

MADISON – Like most active kids growing up, Colin Thompson competed in everything. He played soccer for eight years, competed in basketball and dabbled in many other sports.

And just like all those kids, Thompson dreamed to play football at the next level, something that looks more and more like a realistic possibility for the 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end from Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, Pa.

"I wanted to play Division 1 football and then go to the NFL. That's still my goal. Everything is all about football and having offers from some of the top schools of the country is something I didn't expect. It's a humbling experience."

"I get hundreds of letters in my mailbox every day. I need a plastic bag to bring in all these letters. The stack is anywhere from 5 to 10 inches think. It's too overwhelming to count them all, but I am sure a lot of kids would love to be in my position.

"It's great to get all these offers, but it's a job. It's now a matter of getting through all these letters and thinking about narrowing my list down. I haven't ruled anybody out yet, so I am just going with the flow."

Even with all the offers and interest flooding his mailbox, Thompson does recognize a big offer when he sees one, like his scholarship letter from Wisconsin, a place he considers one of the top tight end schools in the country with NFL talent like Travis Beckum, Owen Daniels, Garrett Graham and soon-to-be Lance Kendricks having succeeded there.

"The Rose Bowl was a perfect example of how they use their tight ends," Thompson said. "To be honest, when you go to the Midwest, it's a huge powerhouse school and it's a Mecca for tight ends. It's a very impressive offer, and it's right there on my list. I wasn't expecting it. I sent in my film, got a letter and then got a phone call saying I got an offer."

Thompson was being recruited by Coach Greg Jackson, who left the Badgers earlier this month for a NFL job, and now says Coach Joe Rudolph has made some contact.

Thompson has already made a trip to Florida, getting a chance to meet offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and the rest of the Gators coaching staff, and is heading to Notre Dame this weekend with some of his teammates.

As a junior, Thompson caught 13 passes for 208 yards and four touchdowns. He also blocked for two running backs that went over 1,000 yards each. On defense, Thompson added 10 sacks and two interceptions as a defensive end.

"I work on being an all-around player at receiving and blocking," Thompson said. "I think I do pretty well for a big guy."

Considering a broadcasting career, Thompson is hoping to take more visits during the summer time and make an educated decision before or at the start of his senior year.

"I don't want to change my mind and de-commit," Thompson said. "I don't want to do that. I want to make the right decision and make a set-in-stone decision so I can focus on my team. I don't want to put a date on it, just when I feel I have the right decision."